Sylvester Stallone admits he hated Schwarzenegger for a long time

Stallone and Schwarzenegger are both well-known Hollywood action stars, and their films "Predator", "Terminator", "Rocky" and "First Blood" have occupied the cinema. Although the two have worked together in "Escape Plan" and "The Expendables" series, Stallone recently told Forbes magazine that the two hated each other for a long time, mainly because of the fierce box office competition in the 1980s and 1990s.

Stallone told Forbes: "We just really, really hate each other. This might sound a little egotistical, but I think we started a genre at the time that hasn't been seen since. So the competition, because it's in his nature, he's very competitive and so am I, and I just think that actually helps, but off screen we still compete, which is not healthy at all, but we've become really good friends."

Stallone and Schwarzenegger, who are both inducted into the Action Star Hall of Fame, dominated the box office with numerous action blockbusters throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Stallone also recently spoke about their rivalry on The Jonathan Ross Show, saying they "can't even stand being in the same galaxy. We really, really hate each other."

Despite being rivals, Stallone and Schwarzenegger remain good friends and partners. In the 2010 action blockbuster The Expendables, Schwarzenegger made a cameo appearance as Trench, a burly mercenary. Schwarzenegger went on to star in two sequels in the series, but he declined to appear in the fourth installment (released in 2023), partly due to Stallone's absence. The Expendables 4 stars Jason Statham as the lead, and it looks like Stallone will be passing the baton to Jason.

Schwarzenegger told Vanity Fair: "Without Sylvester Stallone there would be no The Expendables. I would never have done it without him."